React Engineer

The web engineering team is responsible for all things unsplash.com.We use modern and well-supported tools to build the best possible version of our product in collaboration with the API and design teams.

At a high level, the web architecture consists of a Node server (TypeScript), with React for rendering on both the server and client.

Over the years, we’ve taken Unsplash from a humble Tumblr blog to a fully-fledged web app supporting tens of millions of users and tons of useful features. At the same time, we’ve improved its performance by leveraging modern techniques like SSR, dynamic chunk-splitting, CDN HTML caching, complex state management using memoization and Observables, etc. We’ve done all that with a lean team of just 2 web developers: frequent code releases and in-depth code reviews help us share knowledge and identify problems early. But there’s still so much more to learn and do, and that’s why we need you!

We designed our company in a way to get as much of the stuff that’s not the creative work out of your way, so you can do your best work. We don’t believe in a top-down, shoulder-tapping, 9–5 type culture. You have the autonomy to manage yourself. We don’t work set hours. We respect flow. We believe you should be able to structure your days for what makes you feel the most energized and creative.

A glance at some of our blog posts and open source work can give you an idea on how we approach and solve our problems:

Experience

If you tick (most of) these boxes, you should get in touch with us:

You’re comfortable being part of a small, autonomous and distributed team.

Being a small team, we dive into everything. You are comfortable working across the full stack, from writing CSS to fine tuning a CDN—although we don’t expect you to know these skills upfront, but you should be willing to learn them when they become necessary.

You’re a quick learner who’s able to pick up new concepts whenever necessary.

You’re able to adequately prioritize between improving UX, optimizing performance, and building new features.

You’re comfortable with React.

You care about the end-product beyond just writing the code that makes it work.

Salary and Perks

Our team is made up of people who enjoy making things people love. We care about details and we care about quality.

Generous vacation: 3 weeks MINIMUM vacation.

Work from home: We’re a remote first company.

Workshops/conferences: Conferences & Learning budget.

Company retreats: Team retreats 1-2 times a year.

Relocation: If you’d like to relocate to Montreal, we provide $8,000 lump sum to cover out-of-pocket costs associated with relocation

Flexible hours: You manage your time. You set your working hours.

Maternal/Paternal leave: If you have a baby, you’re paid for any time you need to take off. The time you take off will be your judgment. This is an important time and we don’t want to be deciding which days you should be taking off or not. We’ll be there for you. If we feel the balance is not quite right or if you have any questions, we’ll chat.

Pet friendly: Obviously if you work from home, but also if you relocate to Montreal. Our office is pet friendly.

Technology

Typescript

ReactJS

Javascript

About Unsplash

In 2013, Unsplash launched as a modest Tumblr blog. Since then, Unsplash evolved far beyond a blog into one of the most impactful online communities. Today, over a billion photos are seen on Unsplash every month. A photo featured on Unsplash is now viewed more than the front page of The New York Times and the cover of TIME magazine.

The Unsplash community is fueled by contributors who offer their photos freely for anyone to use inspiring millions of creators from 13-year-old graphic designers to multi-platinum recording artists.

Unsplash is a special community, where the powerful principles of sharing and openness have taken the place of strict copyright and legal red tape.

The web was meant to connect, inform, and inspire us in unprecedented ways. And the Unsplash community embodies this philosophy fully. Unsplash has become a place where the impact of our connected world is on full display. Instead of photos being hoarded and shut down, photos on Unsplash are given as fuel for creativity.

At Unsplash, our mission is to empower everyone to create. You don’t need to know someone, or have an agent, or have a name to be great on Unsplash. We're a place where creators meet their audience. A place where individuals become a community. And a source of inspiration for millions of people from every country in the world. We’ve seen how the willingness to give a single photo can unlock so much more than a few bucks.

Apply

If you want to work with us, all we want to see is a message from you. Please don’t send a resume. Instead, tell us who you are. Show us relevant things you’ve done that you’re excited about.